Photo: John S. on Flickr
08 May, 2020: Algeria receives new medical donation from China
Algeria received Thursday evening a new donation from China of medical masks, testing kits and protective suits, as part of the fight against the pandemic of the new coronavirus (COVID-19). The grant consists of more than “5 million bibs, 560,000 FFP2 type masks, 100,000 screening kits, 15,000 goggles and other protective equipment and protective suits,” he said.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
08 May, 2020: Air Algérie decides on the resumption of flights
The official spokesman and communication officer of Air Algerie, Amine Andaloussi revealed to the Arab daily “El Bilad”, that the airline company Air Algerie is preparing for the lifting of restrictions on international flights, and is only waiting for the reopening of international airspace in order to resume its services and flights.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 10, 2020: The threshold of 500 deaths crossed
Algeria now counts 5723 cases of infection and 502 deaths, said the spokesman of the scientific committee, Djamel Fourar, during the daily press briefing on the evolution of the pandemic.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 10, 2020: Mandatory masks for sellers in Algiers
Sellers authorized to open their shops, as well as their employees, are required to wear protective masks, said a statement of the wilaya of Algiers made public this Sunday, May 10. “Any infringement of these measures will lead to the administrative closure of the premises or commercial space,” warned the wilaya services.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 11, 2020: Benbouzid gives his opinion on the conditions for de-confinement
Abderrahmane Benbouzid, spoke of the importance of wearing masks to limit COVID-19 contamination. ” Citizens must know that the situation is not definitively settled and that the risk still persists”. According to Benbouzid, the mask is the best remedy against the coronavirus at present in the absence of a vaccine, he said that if citizens do not follow the instructions of prevention, everything that has been achieved so far will not work, “if everyone wears a mask, we will manage, in a short time, to reduce the spread of the virus, or even eliminate it completely”.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 11, 2020: Algeria starts production of rapid screening tests
Algeria has started the production of rapid tests for coronavirus, announced the national television on Monday, May 11.
It is an Algerian company located in Baba Ali, wilaya of Algiers, which is in charge of this project, says ENTV adding that it is a collaboration with Jordanian and Canadian companies.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 11, 2020: Start-up Gene Life Sciences develops COVID-19 detection kit
Gene Life Sciences, based in Sidi Bel Abbes, has developed a kit called “RT-qPCR” for the detection of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), announced the start-up on its Facebook page. The kit was developed by the start-up in collaboration with the Djillali Liabes University and the Sidi Bel Abbes Cancer Centre, she said.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 12, 2020: The containment is extended for a further 15 days
The confinement has been extended by another fifteen days, until 30 May, Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad said on Tuesday 12 May.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 12, 2020: The ‘Hirak’ comes back to life despite the coronavirus and the repression
Images broadcast on social networks show a few hundred people marching in the rural commune of Tizi Gheniff, near Tizi-Ouzou, east of Algiers. This is a “rally in support of the five young activists summoned to the police station,” wrote, without further details, on his Facebook page, the local deputy of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD, opposition), Mohamed Cherif Fahem, who took part in the mobilization. Since the start of the epidemic in early March and the forced halt of the “Hirak” demonstrations, citizens and human rights organizations have been denouncing the repression that has been taking place, despite the health risks, against political opponents, independent journalists and media, but also against young internet users who post their opinions on Facebook.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 12, 2020: The coronavirus blows the real estate bubble
The real estate sector is strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rentals, sales, promotions … professionals and individuals are struggling to find their way in a market that is experiencing a loss in value. The economic crisis caused by the drop in hydrocarbon prices could aggravate the situation.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 12, 2020: The threshold of 6,000 confirmed cases reached
Thus, the total number of confirmed cases since the appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria amounts to 6067 infected subjects of which 515 died from the deadly virus, says the spokesperson of the Scientific Committee for Coronavirus Monitoring, Dr Djamel Fourar during the daily press briefing devoted to the evolution of the pandemic in Algeria.
For more information (in French),, please consult the following link.
May 13, 2020: Mobilisation – In Algeria, the hirak resists the coronavirus
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the protesters to suspend their movement, which began in February 2019. But while the repression continues, protesters say they are more determined than ever to change the country.
In an article published on 6 May, the British think tank Chatham House believes that the Algerian authorities are “missing an opportunity to gain legitimacy”. The authors of the article point out that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune agreed to the release of 5,000 detainees on 31 March 2020, but decided to keep prisoners of conscience and hirak leaders in detention.
According to the same document, VIDOC-19 is aggravating “already disastrous” economic conditions, such as the sharp drop in oil prices. In addition, Algeria has a mortality rate of 10% of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the highest percentage in the Maghreb and one of the highest in Africa.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 13, 2020: Algeria receives donation of medical equipment from China
The military plane ‘Ilyushin 76’ of the Algerian Air Force landed Tuesday night at the Algiers International Airport Houari Boumediene from China on board a cargo of medical equipment to fight against the pandemic of the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
In a statement to the press, on receiving the shipment, the Minister Delegate in charge of the pharmaceutical industry, Abderahmane Lotfi jamel Benbahmed said that the shipment is made up of donations from the National Union of Pharmacy Operators, Chinese companies and an order from the central pharmacy of Hospitals.
Dr. Lotfi Benbahmed specified that this cargo consists of 3 million 300,000 bibs, 260,000 FFP2 type masks, 100,000 screening kits and 15,000 protective glasses, saying that these medical equipment will enable Algeria to strengthen its capacity to fight against the pandemic of the new coronavirus.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 13, 2020: This is the amount of the national COVID-19 pool
Indeed, “the cash donations paid into the accounts dedicated to the fight against COVID-19 amounted, until yesterday Tuesday, May 12, to about 300 billion cents (3 billion dinars) and nearly 1.9 million dollars,” said Belaïd Mohand Oussaïd at the press conference.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 13, 2020: The Eid el Fitr prayer will be performed in the home.
The ministerial fatwa commission on Wednesday issued a fatwa on performing Eid El Fitr prayer at home, with members of the same family or individually, due to the health situation induced by the spread of the pandemic of the new coronavirus.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
May 14, 2020: Tourism – 3,000 travel agencies under threat
The General Secretary of the National Union of Travel Agencies (SNAV), Ilias Senouci, said on Thursday, May 14, 2020, during his appearance on Radio Channel 1, that 3,000 travel and tourism agencies are threatened to disappear because of the coronavirus. The commercial activity of travel and tourism agencies has been affected at 100%, stressed the Secretary General of the National Union of Travel Agencies who said that the 3,000 travel agencies in the country have suspended their commercial activities since the end of February, because of the spread of coronavirus. All employees have been laid off.
For more information (in French), please consult the following link.
